May 16 - June 9, 2013 Start the Festival in style with the SIFF 2013 Opening Night Gala! The evening features the Seattle premiere of Much Ado About Nothing, with director Joss Whedon and cast members Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker, Nathan Fillion, and Clark Gregg scheduled to attend.

The Summit

Chronicling the 2008 tragedy that claimed 11 adventurers hell-bent on conquering K2, the deadliest mountain in the world, this documentary attempts to answer what happened over those fateful three days utilizing found footage, interviews, and seamlessly realistic reenactments.

Peaking at 28,251 feet above sea level, K2 is the world's second highest mountain. Revered by mountaineers as the ultimate challenge, it also has a more sinister reputation as the most difficult, dangerous mountain to summit. In August 2008, 18 climbers from a party of 24 reached the top; 48 hours later, 11 people were dead or had simply vanished into the thin air - full account of the events has never been determined. Utilizing found footage, reenactments, and interviews with the survivors and families of victims, director Nick Ryan attempts to reconstruct what happened over the course of those fateful two days, one of the deadliest in mountain-climbing history. At the mystery's heart lies the story of Ger McDonnell, whose decision to risk his own life to save others leads to unforeseen consequences and repercussions. Filled with breathtaking cinematography of K2 at its most majestic and terrifying extremes, The Summit plays more like a white-knuckle thriller than a documentary, providing one of the most extreme film-going experiences since Touching the Void.

Director BiographyNick Ryan is an American film director, producer, and the founding director of Image Now Films. In 2008, he wrote and directed the award-winning The German and also produced Ruairi Robinson’s short films The Silent City Blinky™ and Imaginary Forces.

SIFF's mission is to create experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world. It is through the art of cinema that we foster a community that is more informed, aware, and alive!